A young family that "lost everything" in Monday's gas explosion will be among those supported at a fundraising coffee morning in Carnkie this Saturday.

Villagers are rallying behind the families of the four neighbouring houses damaged when two explosions - believed to be gas cylinders going up - went off in the bungalow of 71-year-old Michael Coddington at 12.30am.

Among those worst affected were a couple who bungalow immediately adjoined Mr Coddington and the home of Holly Whymark and her fiancé Rory, who live there with their two young children, Ruben and Amber, who will be one next week.

For Ruben, his fifth birthday - also on Monday - is one he will never forget, after he was carried out of the house by a policeman and sung 'Happy Birthday' to by neighbours in the early hours of the morning.

For his mum Holly, however, the situation is a living nightmare. She was on her own in the house with her two young children at the time of the explosion, as Rory works away at sea on an oil rig.

She told the Packet: "There was a massive bang and then another, which was a concrete tile coming through the roof and landing my kitchen sink.

"I went to the backdoor and the glass of the conservatory had been blown in. I could just see Mike's place and the flames were higher than the house - it was an inferno. I could hear him shouting and screaming for help.

"I realised I was standing in a pile of glass. I got on the phone to 999 and whilst I was on there I realised our conservatory had been smashed in and our little boy was next to it. I rushed down to his room and opening the door I didn't know what I was going to find.

"Thank God everything landed in the conservatory or outside. I grabbed him and stuffed him in my bedroom out the front with my little girl, who was screaming by then."

Some neighbours then started banging on their door and one grabbed Ruben while she took Amber, and they spent the rest of the night with a couple who lived nearby, Pam and Brian.

At first light they found holes in the roof and ceilings had come down, meaning that while a few bin bags of items have been salvaged from inside, they are unable to return to the property due to fears for the stability of part of the roof. What has been saved is water damaged, due to being rained on all night.

Rory was making his way home yesterday, while Holly and the children stayed with their in-laws who have just moved into the village, although a lack of space means they will need to find alternative arrangements soon.

They are now desperately looking for a short-term let, of around six months, in the nearby area so that Ruben can continue attending Halwin Primary School - where he insisted on still going on his birthday, amidst the chaos. Anyone who has a let available can email hollywhymark@gmail.com.

But Holly added: "It's not just us that's affected. Margaret lost all of her clothes when the ceiling fell in on top of her wardrobe.

"I know we're very fortunate we're all still here."

To help the family, along with the others affected - including the couple who lost half their home - a coffee morning will take place at Carnkie Village Hall on Saturday, between 10am and noon, which organiser Jess Curtis hopes the whole village and wider community will get involved in.

Promoting the event on Facebook, Jess wrote: "A family with two little ones has lost everything. A couple have lost their clothes and home. We are holding a coffee morning for the whole village to come together and support all the families affected in this week's devastating explosion and get some fundraising together."

She told the Packet that the money raised would be split between all the families affected.

An online fundraising page has also been set up for donations, at justgiving.com/crowdfunding/carnkieexplosion.